User:Srios10/Child marriage in South Sudan

Overall:
For our final assignment, my partner and I decided to revamp the article “Child marriage in South Sudan.” Given the prevalence of child marriage in the country the article needs more information on the topic. I will be fixing the consequences section of this article for this draft. For our final draft, we will be expanding and fixing most of the sections in the article, but for this assignment, we will focus on two sections (my partner is doing the other). Additionally, we will be rewording some of the sentences for clarity in the lead once we are done with the article.

Consequences

Before:

There are many health consequences that spiral from a child giving birth at a young age. Furthermore, female children in African societies, unlike their male counterparts do not attend school. They cannot use their education as an outlet to get out of abusive relationships. Daughters are thought of as caretakers and have domestic roles. These children grow up taking the inferior role in the household and are forced to obey their husbands. Child brides are sheltered from their community and are not allowed to participate in communal events.

After:

Child marriage has consequences for children. Health studies conducted show that young women have greater risks in pregnancy than older women due to their premature bodies and smaller pelvises. Female children attend school at lower rates than their male counterparts and have lower literacy rates. Since independence in 2011, South Sudanese women have begun to advocate for more autonomy over themselves. Women who live in urban settings are subjected to child marriage, unwanted pregnancies, educational barriers and economic barriers. Girls who are married early have unequal power relations with their husbands. Customary law is recognized in South Sudan and marriage falls under the jurisdiction of this custom. Divorce is difficult for women under customary law, and dowries must be repaid to the husband's family if divorce occurs, resulting in the child's family having a financial incentive to keep the child in the marriage.

Causes[edit]
Before :

The cause of child marriage is for the family of the child pride to remain good social standing and to have financial prosperity. This tradition is upheld by the families in order to keep their children safe and to prevent their daughter from conceiving children without being married. This idea protects the families pride and honor. Families who do not give their children up for marriage are usually criticized by the neighboring communities and are shown scrutiny. It is easier for the families to follow what everyone else is participating in. Families also marry their children off at a young age to make sure that their daughters have protection and security.

After:

Traditional child marriage practices in South Sudan have been driven by gender and societal norms. As such,

History of Child Marriage
Child marriage in South Sudan is commonly seem in rural parts of the country and not in urban areas. In these parts, traditional law has power over legislative law. The decision of a child to get married is put into action by the father. The mother does not have any say in decisions that are supposed to benefit the family. A child that is married off is solely for economic reasons. This increases the family's status in the society. When girls are married to the man that is courting them, the family is generously awarded with gifts in the form of a dowry. The dowry is one of the most important factors that coincide with child marriage. Dowry is given out in the form of cattle, which shows great respect to the family. The man that the child is being married off to supplies the family with cattle and riches to show his appreciation. In many cases, these rewards alleviate the family of hardships in the form of poverty. Dowry size is also linked to the woman's education level.

An educated woman is said to be a suitable marriage partner by many men in South Sudan. Yet, when a woman’s education is taken from her, she has no other option. A girl can also be seen a problem or burden to her family if she is not married off.